PREVENTION OF DISEASE

~Hansaji

Vaidya S. C. Chaturvedi is a highly qualified medical practitioner of the Indian system of Ayurveda. He teaches at Ayurveda medical colleges, is attached to the Bombay Hospital and has written several books on the subject of Ayurveda. The following are the questions and answers as recorded by the interviewer.

Q. Ayurveda takes care of those who are sick. In yoga we believe that a person ultimately suffers because of personal ignorance or Avidya. Has Ayurveda anything to offer by way of preventing disease ?   

A. Aturveda is a total science of health and prevention definitely has a place in it. Ayurveda emphasizes care in terms of food, Ahara, and an adequate amount of activities, Vihara. It takes care of both curative and preventing aspects of health.

Q. Has Ayurveda anything specific to offer?

A. Yes, the right daily routine, Dinacarya, and the right seasonal discipline, Ratucarya. But in India many of the healthy habits of life have been integrated into religion. Preventive habits have, therefore, become a part of our way of life.     

Q.  What does Ratucrya mean ?

A.  To understand what is meant by seasonal discipline, one has to know that our body is made up of the same five elements as the universe is, i.e. earth, fire, water, air nd ether. If there is a change in the universe or season, there is a change in our body, too. If we are not aware of this and carry on our old routines, we might suffer.

Q. What role do seasonal changes play ?

A. They can disturb the physiological balance of the body through great fluctuations in temperature or extreme heat or cold. Insufficient cold during the cold season can also cause disease.

Q. What do you recommend during weather fluctuations ?

A. In India we say that there are six seasons, but actually there are only three: summer, winter and the rainy season. The blast week of a season and the first of the following one, i.e. 15 days, are called Rtu – sandhi. This is a period of disease where the body suffers the most. One should therefore rest more and make some changes in diet and daily routine.

There should be more of purgation and cleansing because congestion or blockage or tension will affect the system immediately. Release of tension is possible through conscious relaxation. As far as diet is concerned, vegetable and fruit help to clear up the system, and one should gradually change over to the diet best suited for the coming season.

Q. What do you suggest for the cold season ?

A. In this season the water and air elements are in excess. This should be balanced by hot food containing more fire elements. Dry fruits with milk , different milk preparations, jaggery and honey, some spices like pepper, jeera, cardamom and plenty of vegetables should be part of the daily diet. Cold drinks or ice-cream should be avoided. Likewise, swimming, getting wet or cold or exposure to the breeze. In winter one should never sleep during the day. One should have more exercise. Yogic asanas twice a day plus some recreation activities like games would be good. Of course one should also wear warm clothes.

Q. What are the usual causes of disease, according to Ayurveda?

A. Disease arises due to deficiency, excess or vitiation either in metabolic components, Dosas or in vital components, Dhatus.  They have to be kept in an equilibrium, which is done by means of diet, medicines and patient’s own deeds.

Q. Does Ayurveda believe that time is the final reality?

A. Since time preserves us, cares for us and destroys us, we are all affected by it. Time is the ultimate; in other words, we have to do the right things at the right time.          

Published in the September 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine

SINCERE COMMITMENT

A little blind boy was thrown out of his house when he was only a child. He was asked to sit on the steps of the temple and take God’s name seriously. He did exactly as he was told and became a saint. When there is sincerity and devotion, one can reach great heights.

There are few like Surdas who follow the path of Yoga sincerely. For them, Abhyasa and Vairagya are two things like a straight road, taking them to the highest They put in continuous efforts till the mind is fully controlled. These are the best students.

Other second class students are also very sincere. They follow Kriya –Yoga. The first three Niyamas are taken separately. The Niyamas are practiced in a determined way. Tapa is done sincerely, but not in an extreme way. It increases one’s bearing capacity. Swadhyaya includes thinking, perception and reading. It increases knowledge. Ishwarara  Pranidhana is Bhakti, it takes care of emotions. Emotions should be for God. In material world nobody is anybody’s and nobody satisfies emotions. Emotions get disturbed, happiness is followed by pain. So these students have emotions for God and they surrender to Him totally.        

Through Kriya-Yoga one can reach Samadhi. All these constituents are equally important. Bhakta may not be strong, so Tapa has to be done. One who does Tapa well, may lean towards Ahankara. One surrenders success or failure to God in Ishwra Pranidhana and does not become egoistic or depressed. He remains balanced always.

For the third class of students, eight steps are recommended.

The question is how sincerely committed are we ? If really sincere, we can reach the highest. Otherwise, is our efforts are half- hearted, we can play around and tell everybody that we are practicing Yoga.   

Published in the Sept 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine. 

SAVE SELF

Image courtesy OsaWaterWorks

Sudha N. Desai

If our house catches fire – what do we do?  We leave everything else behind and run out of the hose, to save our lives. So also in the case of any natural calamity – our immediate response is to save ourselves.

For a student of Yoga the Vrittis of the mind (chitta) are these calamities. One following the yoga path tries to save himself from all kinds of such thoughts. For him the self is the Purusha or consciousness or Atman and not the physical body or mind. His priority is to his self, his consciousness, not his body or his belongings or his thoughts. His goal is to realize this self.

In our daily lives – we are conscious of things, but that is at a gross level. We are not in tune with the deeper layers, that is our true self. Pure consciousness is mixed up with our thoughts which do not let us see our true self. It is only when our mind can be kept thought-free for a prolonged period of time, can one see beyond the mundane to the subtler and become aware of our true self.

The technique that a sincere student of yoga, therefore adopts, is Abhyasa and Vairagya, or in other words – study and renunciation. He keeps up his practice while at the same time gradually tries losing interest in the material world. This helps in reducing thoughts and mental modifications. He does away with laziness, doubts, logic and reasoning – knowing well that these cause the thought processes to start. He strengthens his faith and strongly believes that is God looks after everything. His belief in the larger processes makes him realize that likes and dislikes have no meaning. He tries to avoid not only the negative but even good thoughts.

One can see the bottom of a lake only if there are no ripples on the surface. For the Yogi, the mind is like a lake and he does not throw a stone in the form of a thought in it. No thoughts – no ripples. Pure consciousness, which is beyond the mind, then shines forth.  


Published in the Sept 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

THE VEDAS

T.M.P. Mahadevan.

His holiness Chandrashekhar Saraswatui Vyasa classified Vedic literature.                                                                                                               

It was vast, five thousand years back there were 1180 branches of the Vedas.

Today we have only 8 left.  

The division contained all details about performing activities from birth to death.

Kural in Tamil is equal to the Vedas. It is part of Indian culture.

Five thousand years back Vyasa classified the veda into branches (Shakha) to make it possible for a simple individual to study and benefit. The Shakhas have a threefold division.

The kings of those days granted srotriyam village to scholars who studied the Veda all their life.

No tax was levied on such villages even till this day. India is the only such country where generations of families performs duties relating to spiritual welfare without engaging themselves in ---- profession. Upasana mantra are recited. In Kerala Nambudiar Brahmins are known for their vedic study.

Gayatri Japa should be done without fail. Gayatri is the quintessence      
of the Vedas.


Published in the Sept 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

IMPLICIT OBEDIENCE TO THE GURU

 

Guru Amardasji, the third Sikh Guru was preparing to appoint his successor. He secretly decided to put all his disciples through a test.

The Guru asked all the disciples to get some earth and build small mud platforms. They all hurried and each one made a small platform. When the Guru came to check the mud platforms, he asked all the disciples to pull down the platforms and rebuild them, since they were not as he expected. Thus each time the mud platforms were made, the Guru rejected them for some reason or another and asked them all to rebuild the platforms. Guru Amardas was quite old at this time, so several disciples began to think that he was becoming senile and was no longer in full possession of his senses. As a result, one by one the disciples abandoned the work. Only one middle-aged man named Ramdas, was the only disciple left, who patiently and cheerfully made and re-made the platforms seventy times. The others taunted and jeered at him and told him that he was mad. Ramdas said to them “Brothers, the whole world is blind and mad. But the only one who can see and is sane is the Satguru.” Guru Amardasji embraced Ramdas and filled him with spiritual wealth. He had found his successor, a man who would serve the Lord with no thought for himself, with a heart big enough to help and comfort thousands of souls. Thus Guru Ramdasji was appointed as the fourth Sikh Guru.

“God had put himself in the Guru”, said Guru Nanak in the Adi Granth.    

Outwardly the Guru is a human being, but inwardly the Guru is God, the manifested embodiment of the spiritual essence.

Sadhaka 

(Adapted from texts and edited)

Published in the Sept 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

STORIES THAT STIR

PAINTING  GOD
Dr. Patanjali J. Yogendra

A father walked into his little son’s room and found the boy scribbling something on a piece of canvas. “What are you busy with, son?”
                                  
“I am drawing God,” replied the little boy, without even looking up.

“But”, argued the father, “No one has seen God at any time, son, nobody in the world knows what he is like.”

“They will”, the boy assured him. “after I have finished.”

What may appear as a little boy’s innocence, is in reality a great lesson for us all.

Can we confidently say that we have not seen God or felt his presence? Why, when we see the sun rising in the morning, trees gently swaying in the breeze, little children playing in the meadows, bees humming around, flowers, people rushing to work, why for that matter, the beggar at the corner of your street; are we not seeing and feeling the presence of god? I should think painting a picture of God should be the easiest thing in the world. Just put pen to paper and there you have Him. For God lives in all his creations. 

Published in the Sept 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

REAL YOGA

REAL  YOGA
- Hansaji

Yoga is deepening in its meaning today. It is not just acrobatics and physical maneuvers. We are interested in yoga because we are troubled physically by psychosomatic diseases but more by mental disturbances – tension, anxiety, fear, inability to meet situations of life etc.

Can yoga bring one to peace, confidence, clarity of life? Is one more interested in healthy mental and physical conditions ? Unfortunately the yoga teachers are teaching physical acrobatics like asanas, kriyas, bandhas etc.  but besides bombastic talks on Atma, Brahma, Kundalini, they could not provide powerful experience of inner tranquility and insights. 

The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, though 93 years old today has taught simple asanas, pranayama, Kriyas, mudras, etc. but has maintained in all the teachings the blossoming of natural experiences of inner calm, inner insight, inner understanding of life. Yoga should be understood correctly.

This is the campaign The yoga Institute has launched upon. The explanations and insights are backed by providing people these kind of experiences. So the Yoga Institute has modified traditional practices like meditation as conditioning exercises. Savasana or dead body pose as psychosomatic experience of great mental and physical relaxation and opportunities to possess intuitive insights into them.

The question before modern yoga teaches is:
1. Can one be in a peaceful state for half an hour without much thought?
2. Can one subtract and remove “I” in one’s conversation for five/six hours at a stretch?
3. Can one experience changes in state of consciousness without talking ? Can one understand his/her state of consciousness ?

Published in the Sept 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.